'PhD Students’ Experiences in Times of COVID' by Andrea Stein

In 2020 a new disease became a global pandemic, a year later the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected almost each and every one of us globally. The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned this pandemic could negatively affect mental health. This is mainly due to governmental mandated safety measures, of self-isolation, quarantine and social distancing. These new changes have led to a ‘new normal’ disrupting regular daily activities such as working at the office, exercising at the gym, or even socialising with family and friends. Current trends show an increase in loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse.

This research originally intended to investigate mental health experiences of PhD students, however preliminary interview findings suggest that COVID-19 has affected the daily life and mental health of PhD students at two Manchester universities; University of Salford and University of Manchester. PhD students have reported experiencing feeling disconnected from others, feelings of isolation, lower mental health, decreased well-being and challenges to work life balance. For the majority of interviewed students, work was transferred from university offices during office hours to the endless day of working at home and well into the night. The same students will be interviewed a year later, to gather further experiences and themes. It is hoped to gather data on both general PhD experiences, mental health and COVID reflections. It is aimed to better establish the nature of student mental health for Greater Manchester PhD students and the service needs of this population.